An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of their superior and/or employer, public or legally private).

A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public administration or government, through either election, appointment, selection, or employment. A bureaucrat or civil servant is a member of the bureaucracy. An elected official is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ex officio (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Some official positions may be inherited. A person who currently holds an office is referred to as an incumbent.

The word official as a noun has been recorded since the Middle English period, first seen in 1314.[citation needed] It comes from the Bateau Petit FIXERA Petit Blue Bateau White 8RzZnZq6official (12th century), from the Latinofficialis ("attendant to a magistrate, public official"), the noun use of the original adjectiveofficialis ("of or belonging to duty, service, or office") from SASHA Marine Vero Moda SASHA Vero Moda Moda Marine Vero SASHA Marine officium ("office"). The meaning "person in charge of some public work or duty" was first recorded in 1555. The adjective is first attested in English in 1533 via the Old French oficial.

The informal term officialese, the jargon of "officialdom", was first recorded in 1884.

The 1983 Code of Canon Law gives precedence to the title Judicial Vicar, rather than that of Officialis (canon 1420). The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches uses only the title Judicial Vicar (canon 191).

In German, the related noun Offizialat was also used for an official bureau in a diocese that did much of its administration, comprising the vicariate-general, an adjoined secretariat, a registry office and a chancery.

In Catholicism, the vicar-general was originally called the "official" (officialis).[1]

The term officer is close to being a synonym (but has more military connotations). A functionary is someone who carries out a particular role within an organization; this again is quite a close synonym for official, as a noun, but with connotations closer to bureaucrat. Any such person acts in their official capacity, in carrying out the duties of their office; they are also said to officiate, for example in a ceremony. A public official is an official of central or local government.

they are personally free and appointed to their position on the basis of conduct

he exercises the authority delegated to them in accordance with impersonal rules, and their loyalty is enlisted on behalf of the faithful execution of their official duties

their appointment and job placement are dependent upon their technical qualifications

their administrative work is a full-time occupation

their work is rewarded by a regular salary and prospects of advancement in a lifetime career.

An official must exercise their judgment and their skills, but their duty is to place these at the service of a higher authority; ultimately they are responsible only for the impartial execution of assigned tasks and must sacrifice their personal judgment if it runs counter to their official duties.

As an adjective, "official" often, but not always, means pertaining to the government, as state employee or having state recognition, or analogous to governance or to a formal (especially legally regulated) proceeding as opposed to informal business. Some examples:

An official holiday is a public holiday, having national (or regional) recognition.

An official language is a language recognised by a government, for its own use in administration, or for delivering services to its citizens (for example, on signposts).

An official spokesperson is an individual empowered to speak for the government, or some part of it such as a ministry, on a range of issues and on the record for the media.

An official statement is an issued by an organisation as an expression of its corporate position or opinion;[citation needed] an official apology is an apology similarly issued by an organisation (as opposed to an apology by an individual).[citation needed]

Official policy is policy publicly acknowledged and defended by an organisation.[citation needed] In these cases unofficial is an antonym, and variously may mean informal, unrecognised, personal or unacknowledged.

An official strike is a strike organised and recognised by a labour union, as opposed to an unofficial strike at grassroots level.